Tag: contemporary romance

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: October 2024

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I just want cooler weather.

Favorites this month:

  • Silver and Bone
  • Goodbye Again
  • Holiday Tides
  • Across the Ages
  • The Twisted Throne
  • A Tale Told by Traitors
  • Home Run Heart
  • A Queen of Ice

Least favorites

  • Kiss Me at Christmas
  • Blood of the Sands
  • All I Want Is You
  • [ARC] The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke
  • [ARC/ALC] The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan
  • [ARC] Silver and Bone (Silver and Bone #1) by Claudia Cain
  • A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur
  • The House at Watch Hill (Watch Hill Trilogy #1) by Karen Marie Moning
  • Goodbye Again by Caitlin Moss
  • [ARC/Novella] Holiday Tides (A Wilks Beach Holiday Novella) by Laura Langa
  • [ARC] The Gentleman’s Confession (Matchmaking Mamas #3) by Anneka R. Walker
  • The Dagger and the Flame (The City of Fantome #1) by Catherine Doyle
  • Vilest Things (Flesh and False Gods #2) by Chloe Gong
  • Across the Ages (Timeless #4) by Gabrielle Meyer
  • One on One by Jamie Harrow
  • Tell Me You Love Me (The Boys of Riverside #4) by Gracie Graham
  • The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom #5) by Danielle L. Jensen
  • The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew
  • The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
  • [Novella] Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
  • [ARC] A Tale Told by Traitors (Tales of Wonder and Woe #2) by R. Dugan
  • [ARC] Home Run Heart (Kitt’s Harbor #2) by Hailey Gardiner
  • For She is Wrath by Emily Varga
  • We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey
  • Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
  • Blood of the Sands (The Ballan Desert #1) by S.C. Grayson
  • The Secret of the Book Keeper (The Secret of the Book Keeper #1) by J.A. Hemingway
  • Miss Adeline’s Match by Joanna Barker
  • Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn’t Evil (High Court of the Coffee Bean #3) by Jennifer Kropf
  • All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard
  • Season’s Schemings (Cyclones Christmas #2) by Katie Bailey
  • Fighting for You (Veterans of Silver Ridge #4) by Claire Cain
  • [ARC] Spectacular (Caraval #3.5) by Stephanie Garber
  • Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
  • Not a Thing (Seddledown #2) by Susan Henshaw
  • The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain
  • [ARC] A Queen of Ice (A Trial of Sorcerers #5) by Elise Kova
  • Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz

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Book Review: Codename Charming (Palace Insiders #2) by Lucy Parker

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Lucy Parker
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: August 15th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Following Battle Royal, beloved author Lucy Parker pens another delicious romantic comedy about a fake relationship between a grumpy royal bodyguard and the charming, sunny assistant who melts his cold, hard exterior.

Petunia De Vere enjoys being the personal assistant to lovable, bumbling Johnny Marchmont. But the job has its share of challenges, including the royal’s giant, intimidating bodyguard, Matthias. Pet and Matthias are polar opposites–she’s spontaneous and enthusiastic, he’s rigid and stoic–but she can sense there’s something softer underneath that tough exterior…

For Matthias Vaughn, protecting others is the name of the game. But keeping his royal charge out of trouble is more difficult than he imagined because everywhere Johnny goes, calamity ensues, and his petite, bubbly assistant is often caught in the fray. Matthias hates the idea of Pet getting hurt and he’s determined to keep everyone safe, even if it means clashing with his adorable new coworker.

When a clumsy moment leads to a questionable tabloid photo, the press begins to speculate that Pet is romantically involved with Johnny. To put an end to the rumors, the royal PR team asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship and the two reluctantly agree. But as they spend more time together outside of work, they begin to wonder what real emotions this pretend connection might uncover. Especially when a passionate kiss leaves both of their heads spinning…

IT WAS FINE.

I don’t really know how to even go about this review because I just don’t have a lot of feelings about it. I definitely liked book one a lot better. There was nothing inherently wrong wit the story, other than it was a little slow. I want to FEEL all the things when I’m reading and this missed the mark in that aspect.

There’s some cute and sweet moments. I liked the general dynamic between Pet and Matthias. Throw in some forced proximity and fake dating and it set up for the kind of romantic moments I also enjoy reading about. There’s even a little bit of suspense too that I thought upped the whole vibe of the book as well.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 1-2 open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical assault, loss of a loved one, weapons violence

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Book Review: We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Holiday Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: Kristen Bailey
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: October 14th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Maggie Field was looking forward to a solo Christmas in her cosy London flat – before her three workmates decided to liven things up for her.

Maggie loves her job as head of IT at a financial firm, and her three geeky but lovable work buddies. And when they invite her to stay with each of them for the holidays, she can’t resist the chance to get to know them better.

But then her boss tells her she has to make one of her beloved team redundant, and Maggie is distraught. Frank’s work is his world, Jasper’s sarcastic humour is everything, and Leo…well, he’s talented, professional, confusingly attractive, dependable, and funny… Maggie definitely doesn’t want to lose him.

With her career and her heart on the line, Maggie sets off on the Christmas adventure of a lifetime, from playing fake girlfriend at a lavish wedding, to rescuing baby foxes on a posh country estate, to chasing a very confused donkey on Christmas Day in the Lake District. She can’t ignore the sparks between her and Leo – but she also can’t avoid her dilemma.

Can she find a way to keep her work family together, and maybe even find true love under the mistletoe?

A hilarious and heartfelt celebration of friendship, workplace romance, and finding where you belong. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Beth O’Leary, this festive rom-com will have you laughing, crying, and reaching for the mince pies.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the audiobook.

UNEXPECTED.

I went into this very blind, only knowing that I liked Bailey’s Christmas romance last year. I did like the audiobook narration for this one and found it to be an easy listen. This was a bit more fiction than I was expecting but I think the heart of this story was wonderful and this was a genuinely kind book.

Maggie Field was adorable and sweet and I loved her character. And her found family work friends were the perfect group to follow around for the holidays. I loved the laugh inducing antics and the quiet, bond forming moments too. It’s a heartfelt read that was full of festive cheer. I actually really liked the way the ending came together and it was a bit of joy in my day to finish this one.

Overall audience notes:

  • Holiday Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door

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Book Review: Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Sarah Adler
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 23rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love.

Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process.

She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion.

After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone.

But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.

THIS WAS SO GOOD.

I didn’t really have plans to pick this up and a friend’s raving review convinced me to give it a go. AND I LOVED IT. I’m so happy I read it!

THE EMOTIONS. I felt them all throughout. The flashback chapters hurt my heart and when a reveal happened that I wasn’t expecting I was almost in tears. The writing just brought out all of the feels.

The romantic banter was amazing. I was laughing and swooning Hollis and Millie. They really had this enigmatic chemistry and the road trip antics were well placed. I’m not usually a road trip fan, but I love the way this story worked in its favor. I do think the physicality of their relationship surpassed what I love seeing, that’s a me thing though.

It’s a wonderful audio book. A deeply heartfelt story and I was in love from all sides.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a loved one

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